Lockheed P-80 Shooting Star

Lockheed P-80 Shooting Star
Country	USA
Role	Jet fighter
First flight	8 January 1944
Built	1715

The Lockheed P-80 Shooting Star was the first jet fighter used operationally by the United States Army Air Forces (USAAF). Designed and built by Lockheed in 1943 and delivered just 143 days from the start of the design process, production models were flying, and two pre-production models did see very limited service in Italy just before the end of World War II. Designed with straight wings, the type saw extensive combat in Korea with the United States Air Force (USAF) as the F-80.

Source: Lockheed P-80 Shooting Star on Wikipedia

Lockheed P-80/F-80 Shooting Star Walk Around
Photographer	Cees Hendriks
Localisation	Unknow
Photos	37

Lockheed P-80-F-80 Shooting Star 01

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Lockheed P-80-F-80 Shooting Star 37

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Lockheed F-80C Walk Around
Photographer	Wright Patterson
Localisation	Unknow
Photos	18

Lockheed P-80 Shooting Star Walk Around
Photographer	Dennis Sparks
Localisation	Unknow
Photos	24

The Dawn of the Jet Age

The Lockheed P-80 Shooting Star (re-designated F-80 in 1948) was the first jet fighter used operationally by the United States Army Air Forces. Designed by Clarence “Kelly” Johnson and his Skunk Works team in just 143 days, it was a response to the German Me 262. While it arrived too late to see combat in WWII, it became the cornerstone of the early Cold War USAF and participated in the first-ever jet-versus-jet dogfight during the Korean War.

Attribute	Technical Specification (F-80C)
Role	Fighter-Interceptor / Fighter-Bomber
Crew	1 (Pilot)
First Flight	January 8, 1944
Powerplant	1 × Allison J33-A-35 centrifugal-flow turbojet
Thrust	5,400 lbf (24 kN)
Maximum Speed	956 km/h (594 mph) at sea level
Armament	6 × .50 cal (12.7 mm) M3 Browning machine guns (Nose)
Payload	2 × 1,000 lb bombs or 8 × 5-inch rockets

Design and Engineering Milestones

Centrifugal-Flow Turbojet: The P-80 utilized the Allison J33, based on the British Whittle design. Unlike modern axial-flow engines, the J33 used a large impeller to compress air, which gave the F-80 its characteristic “fat” mid-section.
Nose-Concentrated Armament: By placing the six machine guns in the nose rather than the wings, the F-80 eliminated “convergence” issues, allowing for a concentrated stream of fire at any range.
The “Misery” Fuel Tanks: Early jets had poor range. The F-80 was iconic for its large, teardrop-shaped wingtip fuel tanks. These not only extended range but were found to improve the wing’s aerodynamic efficiency at high speeds.
Skunk Works Beginning: The P-80 was the project that essentially birthed Lockheed’s “Skunk Works” division, establishing the culture of rapid prototyping and extreme secrecy.

The Korean War & Transition

The First Jet Dogfight: On November 8, 1950, Lieutenant Russell J. Brown, flying an F-80C, was credited with shooting down a Soviet-built MiG-15—the first victory in jet-versus-jet history.
Straight vs. Swept Wings: The Korean War quickly proved that the straight-winged F-80 was outmatched in speed by the swept-wing MiG-15. The F-80 was soon shifted to the ground-attack role, where it excelled due to its stability as a gun platform. [Image comparing P-80 straight wing vs MiG-15 swept wing geometry]
Training Legacy: The F-80 airframe was lengthened to create the T-33 “T-Bird”, which became the most successful jet trainer in history, used by over 40 countries for over half a century.